"Taylor Swift is so flawless, and so unattainable, and I don't think it's breeding anything good in young girls," she said. "'I'm never going to be like Taylor Swift, why can't I be as pretty as Lorde?' That's f**king bulls**t."

Amid confusion about her comments, Lorde took to her Tumblr page to explain what she meant in more detail.

"I think I cocked that up a bit and what I said wasn't put in context also," she wrote. "What I meant was: there's a lot of importance placed on physical perfection in this industry, and I wish my favorite stars didn't look perfect because I think fans (me included) have these feelings of worthlessness, like they'll never be as pretty/talented/whatever, as a result of this intense photoshop culture and the endless strive for perfection."

Lorde continued: "[Taylor Swift] was the first person I thought of, which I regret. She happens to be good looking, but I think she actually uses her other imperfections in an incredibly powerful and relatable way. Taylor Swift has a very unique vision, which I admire.

"I think somewhere along the line also there was a misquote where people got the impression I thought writing about love was shameful. I don't! I just haven't found a way of doing it which is powerful and innovative, which is why I don't."

Lorde also pointed out that she is "very, very new" to the fame game, adding: "I will probably never be the kind of role model for my fans that [Taylor Swift] is for hers. I admire her very much for this reason. Basically, this is an apology for not thinking too hard before I speak."

Lorde's debut album Pure Heroine was released in the US on Monday (September 30) and will be out in the UK on October 28.